Out Of The Ashes (A Pokémon Fanfiction) ~on Hold

Chapter 7: Training

Chapter 7: Training

Ash could have navigated the beginning portion of Route 1 in his sleep.

He and his mother had explored it often enough during their occasional trips to Viridian City. For an hour or so, he walked unmolested, Aron's Pokeball clipped securely on his belt. The small weight on his waist wasn't familiar just yet-he was conscious of it shifting over his hip with every step he took.

The sky was a spotless, sun-burned blue, golden light drenching every happy plant and beating down on the back of his neck. The road eventually changed from maintained pavement to a narrow but well-worn dirt path. It made sense, as Pallet Town was the smallest town in the Kanto Region. There wasn't too much traffic leading to and from the tiny population of humans and Pokemon. Small Pokemon rustled in the tall grass thickets, and a flock of Pidgeys occasionally darted by overhead. Ash felt no urge to catch them just yet, or any other Pokemon just yet. There was no tug in his gut, no change of pace in his heartbeat. Unbothered, he set himself at a steady pace and focused on enjoying the environment around him.

He hoped to reach Viridian City by the end of the day. Route 1 was short and winding and led straight to Viridian, where he could find a Pokemon Center and rest for the night. After that was Viridian Forest, a massive sprawl of wild woodland that had been regionally recognized as a Kanto landmark. Route 2 was the main exit out of the forest, and was significantly longer than its counterpart, serving as a direct road north, straight into Pewter City. Pewter was where the first gym was located and where Ash would be going up against Brock, the rock-type trainer.

After a while, he released Aron and took a short break. The young creature seemed pleased to have an opportunity to stretch his short legs. Ash unwrapped one of the high-nutrient granola bars and drank half of his refillable water bottle while keeping an eye on his Pokemon. Though Aron were well-known for their formidable defense, he didn't want Aron poking his nose somewhere that would get him into trouble.

A thought occurred to him. He sighed in exasperation with himself and whistled, calling Aron's attention. He pulled out his Pokedex and powered on the slim device, selecting the scanning option.

"Hold still, Aron," he called, lining up the projected grid simulator for the scanner. Red light washed over the Pokemon and the device buffered for a moment as it processed data.

According to the Pokedex, his Aron knew the moves Tackle, Harden, Mud-slap, and Headbutt. Headbutt and Tackle were good physical attacking moves, and would deal significant damage when coupled with Aron's steel body and immense strength. Mud-slap had a little bit more range and versatility. A decent shot of mud to an opponent's eyes would blind them or create slippery footing in an arena. Ash wasn't sure if Aron would really need to use Harden too much, as his defense was already commendable.

Aron snuffled around a patch of grass a few feet away from where Ash was relaxing. He dug his the edge of his curved head into the earth and upturned it, tossing back the layer of soil and dirt. With surprising efficiency, he managed to bore a hole down into the soft ground until Ash could barely see his back-spike waving back and forth over the tops of the grass. Cracking and crunching noises soon filled the air. Assuming Aron was having himself an evening snack, Ash leaned back and draped a hand over his eyes, blocking out the sun.

After a little while, he sat up abruptly. "Aron!"

The Pokemon's head jerked up, comically smeared with dirt and clumps of severed grass. Ash's face morphed into a grin.

"Would you like a nickname?"

Aron musingly rubbed his head against a tall bundle of grass fronds, polishing his steel cheek. After a second, he bobbed his head and clicked his jaw in affirmation.

"Okay, how about... Jet? For the darker parts of your armor?" Aron spat out a crushed flower bud distastefully. Ash rubbed his chin, thinking hard. "Crag? Shield?" He began listing names, watching carefully for a positive reaction. He'd been thinking about nicknames ever since receiving him. "Tremor? Quake?" No reaction. "Tyrant? Titan?" Flattered at this, Aron puffed out his chest, but ultimately did not give his seal of approval.

"Atlas" was also denied, as well as "Gaius".

"You have to be the most picky Pokemon ever," Ash despaired. At this point Aron was going to end up with something like "Rock".

At last, he tried, "How about Tank?"

The Aron performed a surprisingly acrobatic leap and twist, his eyes scrunching in delight. Ash sat up quickly, disbelieving.

"Really? Tank? You like it?"

The Pokemon cried enthusiastically, bracing his four limbs in the dirt and throwing out his chest pridefully. Ash laughed at the sight. With Aron's impressive set of sturdy steel armor and his notable strength, calling him "Tank" was by all means not an exaggeration. He'd fill out the size aspect of the name in his later evolutions.

"Tank it is, then." The newly christened Pokemon bounded over to him, pushing his face into Ash's leg and shivering in content. Mutually pleased, Ash scratched underneath Tank's eye socket, another spot he had learned that the Aron liked. Tank practically collapsed in happiness.

After Ash had indulged his Pokemon for a minute or two, he clapped the dust from his palms and packed up his trash. "Would you like to walk with me, or return to your Pokeball?" he asked. Tank huffed and stubbornly set out on the path, head lowered in determination. Ash smiled. He was glad Tank had decided to remain outside. He enjoyed the company and was sure that the Pokemon was further strengthening himself with the exercise.

Eventually, however, the monotony of walking became too much. On a whim, Ash called out, "All right, Tank, use Harden!"

The Pokemon directed him a questioning look, but performed the move anyway. His body stiffened and his muscles locked together. The steel armor gleamed in the sun. Ash clapped encouragingly. "Good job! Follow it up with a Mud-slap!"

He realized his mistake a split second too late.

Tank's azure irises glittered with innocent delight. He splayed his jaws and a small sphere of white, latent energy materialized in his opened mouth. He reared on his back legs and snapped his head forward, throwing the orb directly at the area in front of Ash's feet. Where it connected, the soil instantly liquefied and splattered wetly over Ash's entire body, caking especially over his jacket and jeans. He spluttered, disgustedly wiping away the globs that had splashed over his eyelids.

"Not at me!" He shouted, torn between laughing his head off and feeling cross. Tank's steel plates grated together and his mouth gaped open, his unique form of laughter. Huffing, Ash cleared away the mud as best as he could from his face and clothing, reluctantly accepting that there was nothing to be done but wash the outfit when they got to the Pokemon Center in Viridian.

He took a deep, stabilizing breath. "Okay, then. Let's try out your Tackle... on that tree." he added sternly, noting Tank's perky expression. The Aron broke into a loping run. His speed wasn't spectacular, which needed brushing up before they challenged Brock, but his posture was good and his stride strong. He connected with the trunk of the selected tree with a booming impact. Ash felt the ground briefly vibrate through the soles of his shoes. The tree shuddered violently and a storm of leaves fluttered loose.

"That was good, Tank! You have great strength, but you need better speed, or else the Pokemon will simply leap out of the way. Let me see your Headbutt."

Tank dropped into a lower, more compact stance, and stretched his neck out, presenting his downturned face like a battering ram. Ash nodded in approval.

"These are the moves you know right now and that we'll be battling with in the near future. I want you to practice these as much as you can, all right? We'll work out some strategies when we get to Viridian, but for now we'll focus on getting the moves just right." Granted, they weren't terribly complicated, but practice made perfect, after all.

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Find out what happens in the next chapter as the journey continues!